Epidemiology of electrical injury: Findings from a community based national survey in Bangladesh
METHODS: a national survey was conducted between January and December 2003 in Bangladesh. Nationally representative data were collected from 171,366 rural and urban households comprising a 819,429 population. The survey was conducted at a household level with a structured questionnaire.
RESULTS: the incidence of fatal and non-fatal injury was found to be 1.6 and 73.7 per 100,000 population year respectively. Compared to females, males were found at a higher risk (RR1. 62;95% CI1.37–1.91) and rural people found more vulnerable compared to urban people (RR5.97;95%CI4.71–7.57). The home was found as the most common place for electrical injury, with more than 50% of injury taking place at home. The household source of electricity was found as the most common source of electrical injury. Lightning was also found as major source for electrical injury which constituted more than 25% of the injuries cause by electrical current. More than 80% of electrical injuries occurred between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
CONCLUSIONS: : electrical injury is an emerging cause of mortality and morbidity in both urban and rural areas of Bangladesh. Males and rural people were the more vulnerable group for electrical injury compared to women and the urban population. The home is the most common place for injury occurrence.